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Loren AliKhan

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Loren AliKhan
Image of Loren AliKhan
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Tenure

2023 - Present

Years in position

1

Predecessor
Prior offices
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Predecessor: John R. Fisher

Compensation

Base salary

$246,600

Education

Bachelor's

Bard College at Simon's Rock, 2003

Law

Georgetown University Law Center, 2006

Loren AliKhan is a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on May 4, 2023, and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 5, 2023, by a vote of 51-50.[1][2] To see a full list of judges appointed by Joe Biden, click here.

The United States District Court for the District of Columbia is one of 94 U.S. District Courts. They are the general trial courts of the United States federal courts. To learn more about the court, click here.

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the court of last resort in Washington, D.C. To learn more about the court, click here.

Prior to joining the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, AliKhan was a judge on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She was nominated to the court by President Joe Biden (D) on September 30, 2021, and was confirmed by the United States Senate on February 8, 2022, by a vote of 55-41.[3][4][5]

Prior to her service on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, AliKhan was the Solicitor General for the District of Columbia.[4]

On January 28, 2025, AliKhan issued a temporary block on already disbursed funds in response to President Donald Trump's (R) freeze on federal aid and programs. Click here to read more.

Judicial nominations and appointments

United States District Court for the District of Columbia (2023-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On May 4, 2023, President Joe Biden (D) nominated AliKhan to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. She received commission on December 13, 2023.[2] To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Nomination Tracker
Fedbadgesmall.png
Nominee Information
Name: Loren AliKhan
Court: United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Progress
Confirmed 215 days after nomination.
ApprovedANominated: May 4, 2023
ApprovedAABA Rating: Well Qualified
Questionnaire: Questionnaire
ApprovedAHearing: June 7, 2023
Hearing Transcript: Hearing Transcript
QFRs: (Hover over QFRs to read more)
ApprovedAReported: July 13, 2023 
ApprovedAConfirmed: December 5, 2023
ApprovedAVote: 51-50


Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed AliKhan by a vote of 51-50 on December 5, 2023. Vice President Kamala Harris broke the tie.[2] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

AliKhan confirmation vote (December 5, 2023)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 47 1 0
Ends.png Republican 0 49 0
Grey.png Independent 3 0 0
Total 51[6] 50 0

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing

AliKhan was reported to the full Senate on July 13, 2023, after a 11-10 committee vote.[2] Click here for a list of other nominees who have been nominated by President Joe Biden.

Nomination

On May 4, 2023, President Joe Biden (D) nominated AliKhan to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.[2]

AliKhan was nominated to replace Judge Amy B. Jackson, who assumed senior status on May 1, 2023.[7]

The American Bar Association (ABA) rated AliKhan Well Qualified.[8] To read more about ABA ratings, click here.

Judicial nominations and appointments

District of Columbia Court of Appeals (2022-present)

See also: Federal judges nominated by Joe Biden

On September 30, 2021, President Joe Biden (D) nominated Loren AliKhan to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a 55-41 vote on February 8, 2022.[4][5] AliKhan received commission on February 18, 2022. To read more about the federal nominations process, click here.

Confirmation vote

The U.S. Senate confirmed AliKhan by a vote of 55-41 on February 8, 2022.[5] To see a full breakdown of the vote on the official U.S. Senate website, click here.

AliKhan confirmation vote (February 8, 2022)
Party Yea Nay No vote
Electiondot.png Democratic 46 0 2
Ends.png Republican 7 41 2
Grey.png Independent 2 0 0
Total 55 41 4

Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held hearings on AliKhan's nomination on December 2, 2021. The committee voted to advance AliKhan's nomination to the full Senate on December 15, 2021.

Nomination

On September 30, 2021, President Joe Biden (D) announced his intent to nominate AliKhan to the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.[4] The president officially nominated AliKhan on the same day.[5]

AliKhan was nominated to replace Judge John R. Fisher, who assumed senior status on August 22, 2020.[5]

Biography

Education

Loren AliKhan earned a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from Bard College at Simon’s Rock in 2003. She earned a J.D., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University Law Center in 2006.[4]

Professional career

About the United States District Court for the District of Columbia

District of Columbia
District of Columbia Circuit
Seal of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.png
Judgeships
Posts: 15
Judges: 15
Vacancies: 0
Judges
Chief: James E. Boasberg
Active judges:
Amir Ali, Loren AliKhan, James E. Boasberg, Tanya S. Chutkan, Jia Cobb, Rudolph Contreras, Christopher Reid Cooper, Dabney Friedrich, Timothy J. Kelly, Trevor McFadden, Amit Priyavadan Mehta, Randolph D. Moss, Carl Nichols, Ana C. Reyes, Sparkle Sooknanan

Senior judges:
John Deacon Bates, Rosemary Collyer, Paul Friedman, Joyce Hens Green, Thomas Hogan, Beryl A. Howell, Ellen Huvelle, Amy B. Jackson, Henry Kennedy, Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, Royce Lamberth, Richard Leon, Richard Roberts, Barbara Rothstein, Emmet G. Sullivan, Reggie Walton


The United States District Court for the District of Columbia is one of 94 United States district courts. Cases dealing with the laws of the District of Columbia are heard by this court only under the same circumstances that would cause a case under state law to come before a federal court. Appeals from this court are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The court sits in the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse located on Constitution Avenue NW. The District has no local district attorney or equivalent, and so prosecutorial matters fall under the jurisdiction of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.

The District Court for the District of Columbia has original jurisdiction over cases filed in the District of Columbia. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.

The D.C. District Court hears federal cases within the District of Columbia. Its appellate court is the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

To read opinions published by this court, click here.


About the District of Columbia Court of Appeals

District of Columbia Court of Appeals
State-Supreme-Courts-Ballotpedia-template.png
Court Information
Justices: 9
Founded: 1970
Location: Washington, D.C.
Salary
Judicial Selection
Method: U.S. President appoints, U.S. Senate confirms
Term: 15 years
Active justices
Corinne Ann Beckwith, Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Joshua Deahl, Catharine Friend Easterly, John P. Howard III, Roy W. McLeese, Vijay Shanker

Established by Congress in 1970, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the court of last resort in Washington, D.C., and has nine judgeships. The current chief of the court is Anna Blackburne-Rigsby.

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals meets in the Historic Courthouse.[9]

As of September 2021, in Washington, D.C., court of appeals justices are selected through an assisted appointment method, where the President selects an appointee from a list provided by a nominating commission. The appointee must then be approved by the U.S. Senate. To read more about this system of selection, click here.

The D.C. Court of Appeals reviews all final orders, judgments and specified interlocutory orders of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and answers questions of law certified by federal and state appellate courts. Additionally, the court may review decisions made by D.C. administrative agencies, boards, and commissions.

Cases are heard by randomly chosen three-judge panels except when it is requested and ordered by a majority of judges in regular active service that the court sit en banc. This may occur when it is deemed that the full court is needed to maintain uniformity of its decisions, or if the case is of noteworthy importance.[10]

To read opinions published by this court, click here.

The federal nomination process

Federal judges are nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. There are multiple steps to the process:

  • The president nominates an individual for a judicial seat.
  • The nominee fills out a questionnaire and is reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
  • The Senate Judiciary Committee holds a hearing with the nominee, questioning them about things like their judicial philosophy, past rulings or opinions, etc.
  • As part of this process, the committee sends a blue slip to senators from the home state in which the judicial nomination was received, allowing them to express their approval or disapproval of the nominee.
  • After the hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote to approve or return the nominee.
  • If approved, the nominee is voted on by the full Senate.
  • If the Committee votes to return the nominee to the president, the president has the opportunity to re-nominate the individual.
  • The Senate holds a vote on the candidate.
  • If the Senate confirms the nomination, the nominee receives a commission to serve a lifelong position as a federal judge.
  • If the Senate does not confirm the nomination, that nominee does not become a judge.


Noteworthy cases

President Trump freeze on federal funding (2025)

On January 27, 2025, under the direction of President Donald Trump (R), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo which instituted a block on funding related to federal aid, programs, and grants effective January 28, 2025, at 5 p.m. EST.[11][12]

On January 28, 2025, The National Council of Nonprofits, American Public Health Association, Main Street Alliance, and SAGE filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to challenge the order. New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia also joined the lawsuit. Judge Loren AliKhan heard brief arguments the same day.[13]

The plaintiff's lawsuit argued that the OMB violated federal administrative law by suspending aid to nonprofits or other beneficiaries who were already qualified or approved for the funds.[13]

Justice Department attorney Daniel Schwei responded to the plaintiff's lawsuit by arguing that they were not able to make specific claims about immediate repercussions if the freeze went into effect as scheduled.[14]

Judge AliKhan ordered an administrative stay on the freeze for open grants that had already been disbursed until February 3, 2025, at which time there was a second hearing scheduled.[15]

On January 29, 2025, the OMB rescinded the funding freeze.[16]


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. The Federal Judicial Center, "AliKhan, Loren Linn," accessed December 5, 2023
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Congress.gov, "PN588 — Loren L. AliKhan — The Judiciary," accessed May 10, 2023
  3. Twitter.com, "Senate Press Gallery @SenatePress," February 8, 2022
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 The White House, "President Biden Names Eighth Round of Judicial Nominees," September 30, 2021
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Congress.gov, "PN1201 — Loren L. AliKhan — The Judiciary," accessed October 1, 2021
  6. Note: The bolded number reflects the largest number.
  7. Federal Judicial Center, "Biography of Judge Amy Berman Jackson," accessed May 10, 2017
  8. American Bar Association, "Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary," "Ratings Of Article III And Article IV Judicial Nominees," "118th Congress," accessed June 12, 2023
  9. District of Columbia Courts, "Historic Courthouse," accessed September 15, 2021
  10. District of Columbia Courts, "About the Court of Appeals," accessed September 15, 2021
  11. ‘’CBS News,’’ “What does Trump's federal funding freeze mean for people who get aid?” January 28, 2025
  12. NBC News, "White House orders freeze on federal aid to focus on Trump's conservative agenda," January 28, 2025
  13. 13.0 13.1 Roll Call, "States, nonprofit groups file lawsuits to stop grant freeze," January 28, 2025
  14. AP News, "Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration freeze on federal grants and loans," January 28, 2024
  15. Reuters, "Judge temporarily pauses Trump's freeze on grants, loans," January 28, 2025
  16. Twitter, "Peter Alexander on Twitter", January 29, 2025


Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. judicial newsJudicial selection in Washington, D.C.United States District Court for the District of ColumbiaUnited States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia CircuitDistrict of Columbia Court of AppealsSuperior Court of the District of ColumbiaDCTemplate.jpg

Political offices
Preceded by
Amy B. Jackson
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
2023-Present
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
John R. Fisher
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
2022-2023
Succeeded by
-

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